Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Feb 2001

Vol. 530 No. 6

Written Answers. - Missing Persons.

Tom Enright

Ceist:

348 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of women reported missing in each calendar year from 1990 to date; the number of women reported missing and not found in each calendar year from 1990 to date; his views on the number of women who have not been traced; and his further views on whether Operation TRACE has been successful to date in their efforts to trace the missing women. [4437/01]

Tom Enright

Ceist:

349 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of men reported missing in each calendar year from 1990 to date; the number of men reported missing and not found in each calendar year from 1990 to date; and his views on the number of men who have not been traced. [4438/01]

Tom Enright

Ceist:

350 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons under 18 years reported missing in each calendar year from 1990 to date; the number of persons under 18 years reported missing and not found in each calendar year from 1990 to date; and his views on the number of persons under 18 years who have not been traced. [4439/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 348, 349 and 350 together.

I am informed by Garda authorities that statistics for the total number of persons reported missing by age and gender are not available before 1996. The statistics for the year 2000 are currently being compiled for publication in An Garda Síochána's annual report and are not yet available.

The following table, therefore, sets out that the number of people the gardaí took to be genuinely missing, reported to them for the years 1990 to 1999, and the number of these that remain untraced at the end of each year; the number of missing persons under 18 years reported to the Garda for the years 1996 to 1999, and the number that remain untraced for the years 1990 to 1999; the number of men reported as missing to the Garda for the years 1996 to 1999 and the number that remain untraced for the years 1990 to 1999; the number of women reported to the gardaí as missing for the years 1996 to 1999 and the number that remain untraced for the years 1990 to 1999.

Year	No. of missing persons	No. of Men reported missing	No. of Women reported missing	No. of persons not traced	No. of Men not traced	No. of Women not traced	No. of persons reported missing Under 18 yrs.	No. of Persons Under 18 yrs. not traced*
1990	1,358	–	–	10	7	3	–	1
1991	1,359	–	–	11	7	4	–	–
1992	1,497	–	–	7	7	0	–	–
1993	1,530	–	–	9	6	3	–	–
1994	1,578	–	–	12	9	3	–	1
1995	1,658	–	–	17	15	2	–	3
1996	1,848	1,008	840	9	8	1	1,106	–
1997	1,877	1,056	821	3	1	2	1,108	–
1998	2,015	1,035	980	10	7	3	1,340	1
1999	1,800	927	873	16	14	2	1,237	–
Total	16,520	4,026	3,514	104	81	23	4,791	6

*Note gender of missing persons under 18s is not specified and figure is included in totals for Men and Women.

I understand that a significant amount of those reported missing were reported to be suffering from depression or another medical condition which may have resulted in them having suicidal tendencies and that, sadly, last sightings of them were made near a river or the sea. I am informed that An Garda Síochána will continue to investigate the case of every missing person and that every effort is made to find them.

As regards six persons under 18 years of age who went missing in the 1990s, I am informed that investigations by the Gardaí have revealed that three of these people went missing as a result of a boating accident and that two were suffering from depression and were last seen near the sea. I understand that inquiries into all these disappearances are ongoing.

As I have informed the House on a number of occasions, Operation TRACE is currently re-investigating six of the missing female cases and new information is being processed and pursued. Operation TRACE continues to collate information received from both within An Garda Síochána and from the general public. This information is being added to the database and fully investigated. While progress is slow in painstaking investigations such as these ones, the Garda authorities consider that the operation is worthwhile and that it may yield positive results.

Tom Enright

Ceist:

351 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will direct the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána to set up in each Garda district, a special Garda response unit to immediately investigate all persons reported missing to the Garda Síochána in order that this unit will immediately activate a comprehensive search for the person reported missing. [4440/01]

Tom Enright

Ceist:

352 Mr. Enright asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on having the chief superintendent in each division co-ordinate searches for missing persons. [4441/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 351 and 352 together.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the current procedures used by An Garda Síochána to co-ordinate searches for missing persons are based along the lines suggested by the Deputy. The district officer for each area is responsible for the overall investigation for each missing person. This includes all searches. I understand that an investigation team is put in place which draws together any specialist resources the district officer decides are necessary to locate a missing person. In addition, every district has a specially trained search team which is familiar with the locality. At the division level, all investigations carried out in his/her area are co-ordinated by the chief superintendent. I understand the Garda Commissioner considers that investigations of missing persons are more effec tive when they have the kind of local focus which is achieved under present arrangements.